The prior art is replete with baseball bases designed to reduce the impact of players running on or over or sliding into the bases. Generally, when a runner slides into a base, the rebound force can be significant and adversely affect the runner. An example of a base to reduce the impact is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,779 issued Feb. 9, 1988 to M. A. Hauser. The patent sets forth an elastomeric baseball base having tapered side walls and a flat top surface. According to the patent, the side walls of the base curve from an almost vertical position near the playing surface, then flattens out and finally curves again into the top surface of the base. The base itself fits over a plate attached to an anchoring member.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,042 to Friedman discloses another base having curved sides and a flat top surface. The configuration of the base is evidently not related to safety but serves to facilitate visual indication of when a runner has a foot on the base.
A baseball base having a yieldable internal structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,958 issued on Sep. 5, 1963 to Velasquez. A thick resilient portion made of elastomeric material is releasably mounted to a separate rigid pad assembly which itself is coupled to an anchoring post by springs. The sides of the base are vertical to the playing field and the top thereof is flat.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,122,266 issued Jun. 28, 1938 to Seys describes a home plate having a beveled border that reduces the incidence of a runner catching of spikes on the surface of the home plate. The bevelled portion joins the flat top surface of the plate. Openings in the plate are threaded to receive complimentary threaded pins that are driven into the playing field to prevent horizontal motion of the plate during use.
U.S Pat. No. 2,220,142 to Braxton issued Nov. 5, 1940 discloses a baseball bag having vertical sides joined to a convex top. The bag is filled with excelsior or sawdust or other appropriate material. According to the patentee, the convexity provides a smooth banked surface to a runner. The base is provided with a plurality of straps designed to fasten the base to anchoring spikes having eyes through which the straps can be pulled and fastened.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,447 issued to Bartoli on Mar. 19, 1991 describes an energy absorbing base having a hollow underside with ribs arranged in a "chevron-like" pattern. The design of the ribs allow the sides of the base to flex inwardly toward the center due to the impact of a runner. It is clear that the base as described in the patent effectively dampens any re bound force against the runner. In some instances, however, particularly upon a direct impact perpendicular to the center line of one of the sides of the base, it is likely that the deflection can be too severe resulting in the entanglement of the runner's spikes in the base distorted by the impact.
In reviewing the above prior art, it has become apparent that none disclose an integral lightweight, but yieldable, baseball base that provides a surface that substantially diverts the motion of sliding players over the base while reducing but not eliminating the rebound force of the base against the runner immediately following impact.
In reviewing the prior art, it has become apparent that none disclose an integral lightweight, but yieldable, baseball base that provides a surface enhancing the safety of players running over and sliding into the base. It is therefore a paramount object of the present invention to provide such a base that can also be fabricated economically.